Review by: Raygun
This particular Rare Character release was selected to mark ten years of t8ke reviewing whiskey. It consists of bourbon from Indiana and Kentucky from 6 to 9 years old. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.
Distillery: MGP and unknown
Bottler/Brand: Rare Character
Region/style: Kentucky and Indiana straight bourbon whiskey
ABV: 59%. Barrel proof.
Age: A blend of 6-9 year-old bourbons. No official age statement.
Cask type: New oak, 625 bottles
Color: 1.6 mahogany. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Sweet, oaky, and powerful. Caramel corn, cracked pepper, dill, and rye bread. The high-rye component is coming through. Cinnamon roll comes through with some water.
Palate: Not as fiery as I thought it might be. Root beer, caramel corn, pepper, rye bread, and yes, a lot of oak. As powerful as the nose suggested. A touch of licorice. Like the nose, some yeasty cinnamon roll flavor shows up after adding water.
Finish: Rich oak, caramel, and a hint of tobacco now. Still has the root beer, pepper, and touch of licorice. I’m not noticing the rye flavor quite as much. Mostly about the oak here.
Conclusion: My first try of Rare Character and it’s a good one. Nothing too unusual here, except the peppery spicy flavor. It’s not too hot, but I still feel it benefits from a touch of water. I like the cinnamon roll flavor it brings out. I’m not sure what it cost at release, but it would be a pretty solid buy at up to $100 or so.
Score: 85
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
- 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
- 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)
